The first article - an exclusive interview with Press and Community Relations Manager Casey Keefe - gives LucasArts the forum to answer four quick and basic questions about the decision to make this change and what it means.

MMORPG.com: Are you worried about alienating the base that has made SWG a success to date? What do you say to those who feel betrayed?

Casey Keefe: That’s always a risk with the advancement of any game, whether it be taking an MMO in a new direction or releasing a completely new sequel. However, we have had multiple members of the existing player base, both casual and hardcore alike, come out in support of the new direction of the game who are really enjoying it.

To those that feel “betrayed” we understand their frustration, but really think they are missing out on a great Star Wars experience by not continuing to play the game with its new direction. I would suggest they give it a real honest try, if they do not like it after that then at least they have given it a fair shake, but don’t cast it off automatically just because it is something new.

In the second article, Lead Content Editor Dana Massey provides an editorial that looks at the ethics of wholesale changes to an MMORPG after it launched.

Recently, Sony Online Entertainment and LucasArts took the unprecedented step of offering refunds to those who had purchased the Trials of Obi-Wan expansion pack as the company announced some sweeping changes to the game.

This is the latest incident in a string of public relations misadventures for SOE and LucasArts as they make wholesale changes to Star Wars Galaxies.

Earlier this year, the much-criticized, but ultimately accepted – at least in terms of subscribers and informal polls – Combat Upgrade hit the servers to a round of howling from the fans. Then, in a recent Producer Letter, Julio Torres explained that the team would be making more moves to make the game feel more like Star Wars.

Finally, MMORPG.com writer Rob Hinman turns a critical eye towards the changes and what they mean in this new review of Star Wars Galaxies post-"New Game Experience". His verdict? He gives is 6.3 out of 10, down from the 7.0 we gave the original title. Find out why:

Due to the massive changes recently implemented within the Star Wars Galaxies (SWG) Mmorpg, we felt it was necessary to update our review to reflect the changes brought out by the New Game Experience (NGE). We do hope that this review will provide you with the information needed. Also, I will refer to the combat upgrade (CU) along with the NGE. In the last 6 months, SWG has done multiple changes to the game and we’ll try to be as clear as we can.

Before we press on, I feel that I should give a brief explanation of the NGE. The NGE has taken all professions and merged them into 9 iconic professions: The Bounty Hunter, Entertainer, Medic, Smuggler, Commando, Jedi, Officer, Trader and Spy. Some professions were abolished entirely (such as the Creature Handler and the Chef). Without further adieu…